leoest



(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. & J.- LHOBST.

VELOOIPEDEI. No. 352.698. Patented Nov. 16, 1886.

Z'ZyJ e e, I x l? N. PETERS, PIIOIOLWWQHPIIM. Washingmn. D. C,

3 sheets sheet 2 (No Model.)

E. & J. LHOE'ST.

VBLOGIPBDB.

No. 352,698. PatentedNov. 16, 1886.

lbw/220m m 6% 7 (No Model.) .EI & J. LE-[OBST- 3 sheet speet 3.VELOGIPEDE. No. 352,698. Patented Nov. 16, 1886.

IIlllllllllIIllIllIlIllIll"Illlillllllllllllllllllllll N. PEYERSPhulo-umu n her, Wnshingian. D. C.

UNITED STATES "PATENT ()FFICE.

EMILE LHOEST AND JULES LHOEST, OF PARIS FRANCE.

V EI..OC|PEDE.

QPECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,698, dated November16, 1886. Application filed July 14, 1886. Serial No. 207,985. (Nomodel.) Patent d in France November 25, 1885, No. 172,523.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EMILE LHOEST and J ULES LHoEsT, citizens of theFrench Repub lic, residing at Paris, in said French Republic, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes, (for whichwe have received French Letters Patent No. 172,523, dated November 25,1885 and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains ters and figures of reference marked thereon,

which form a part'of this specification.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of a portion of avehicle embodyingthe principles of our'invention. Fig. 2 is an underside plan-view'of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portionof a vehicle, show-- ing a modification in the arrangement of thedriving mechanism. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the drivingmechanism of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top plan view ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is a face view, and Fig. 7 a side view, of one ofthedriving-pawls drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is aside elevation ofthe driving mechanism of the vehicle, showing a further modification ofthe arrangement of the same. Fig. 9 is an under side plan view of avehicle, showing a driving mechanism for propelling'the vehicle backwardas well as forward, and Fig. 10 is an end elevation of anism,substantially as hereinafter fully described, and as set forth in theclaims.

In Figs. 1 and 2 we have shown our improved mechanism applied toafour-wheeled vehicle and arranged to propel said vehicle in onedirection only. In these figures, W indicates the main driving-wheels;W, the fore wheels; T, the trucks or frames; and W the fifth-wheel,secured to the fore axle, A, and

pivoted in the vehicle-frame in any usual or J) for a counter-shaft, S,upon which shalt is .mounted a gear-wheel, P, and on opposite sidesthereof a ratchet-wheel, It, said gearwheel meshing with the pinion P onaxle A.

To the under side of the vehicle-frame are bolted two brackets, B B, inwhich are formed bearings for the fulcrum pin or bolt 1; of thefoot-levers L and L, to each of which is pivoted a pawl. O and C,respectively, the said pawls engaging the teeth of the ratchet-wheels Rand B, respectively. The pawls, as more plainly shown in Figs. 4, 6, and7, are composed of two cheek-pieces, c, that project some distance abovethe point where the pawl is pivoted to its lever to form ears 0, saidcheckpieces being connectedby iron bolts 0 c, of which we have shownfour, the three bolts 0 acting upon the teeth of the ratchet, and thebolt 0 serving as an attachment for the adjusting devices, whereby theamplitude of the throw of the pawls is adjusted. These devices,

as more plainly illustrated in Fig. 4, consist of a bell-crank lever, D,one for each foot 'lever L and L, to which the bell-crank levers arepivoted, of a spring, 8, one end of which is secured to the arm (1 ofthe bell-crank lever and the other end is secured to the cross-bolt c ofthe pawlabove the fulcrum Z thereof, of a connecting-rod, r, connectedwith the arm d of lever D, and an operating-lever, F, pivoted upon thefoot-lever, connected with the bell crank lever by means ofsaidconnectingrod. The lever F carries a pawl, f, that engages with theteeth of a toothed portion, Z, of the foot-lever to hold the pawl inthe' positiop toof the pawl can be regulated, as will be readilyunderstood. The outer ends of the levers L and L are supported from achain, E, that runs over a pulley, e, loosely mounted on a stud, e,secured to the vehicle-frame.

Itis obvious that when the driver from his seat alternately depressesthe levers L and L the pawls G and 0 will alternately engage the teethof the ratchet R and R, and thereby impart a partial rotation to thesaid ratchet, which is converted into a continuous rotation, orpractically so, through the gearing P and P.

Inasmuch as the point where the power is appliedtotheleversLand L is ata comparatively great distance from the point where said power isexerted on the ratchet-wheels, a great leverage is obtained, requiringbut slight exertion to drive the vehicle at a very rapid rate. Thelevers are provided with pedals L for the operators feet.

The steering of the vehicle is effected by the followinginstrumentalities: To thefore wheelaxle, A, on each side of thefifth-wheel W is pivotally secured one end of a connecting-rod, H,whoseotherend is pivoted to a cross-bar or lever, H, thatis rigidly securedupon a spindle or shaft, h, rotatably mounted on the vehicle-frame. Atits upper end the spindle carries a worm-wheel, h, Fig. 10, that gearswith a worm, h, on a spindle, h, that also carries the hand-wheel h.

It will be seen that on rotating the hand wheel in one or the otherdirections the forewheel axle A,and the fore wheels will becorrespondingly-rotated on their vertical pivot to change the directionof the vehicle from a straight course to one toward the right or left,as the case may be.

With the mechanism described the course of the vehicle cannot bereversed, and when this is desirable we employ a separate drivingmechanism, as shown in Fig. 9, in which the levers L L the ratchets It Rand suitable pawls, C 0 engaging said ratchets in a reversed manner fromthat described in reference to the ratchets R R, constitute thereversing mechanism, so that the vehicle may be driven forward orbackward, as desired.

Instead of directly gearing the ,wheelsPand P, as described in referenceto Figs. 1 and 2, the said wheels may be indirectly geared together bymeans of a chain, I, such as a Vaucanson chain, as shown in Figs. 3 and8, the latter figure showing both mechanism for driving the vehicleforward and backward, the mechanism on the left of Fig. 8 serving todrive the vehicle forward, and that on the right to reverse its course.

it is not absolutely necessary that the large gear-wheel should bemounted on the countershaft S, as it may be mounted on the axle A oftheimain driving-wheels, as shown in said Figs. 3 and 8, and instead ofranging the footlevers L and L above the ratchets, they may be suspendedbelow said ratchets, as shown in Fig. 3, without departing from thenature of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is 1. In a velocipede, thecombination, with the driving-axle of a ratchet-and-pawl drivingmechanism such as described, and a foot-lever to which said pawl isconnected and from which it is operated, of mechanism for varying thethrow of the pawl, consisting of a bellcrank and hand-lever pivoted tothe footlever and connected together by a connectingrod, a yieldingconnection betweenthe bellcrank lever and pawl above the fulcrum of thelatter, and alocking-pawl pivoted to the handlever and arranged toengage notches formed in the foot-lever to lock said hand-lever intoposition, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

2. In a velocipede, the combination, with the pivoted fore axle, A, themain axle A, the counter-shaft S, said main axle and countershaft beinggeared together and carrying each aratchet,foot-levers and pawls pivotedthereto for operating the ratchets, of adjusting devices, such asdescribed, for adjusting the throw of the pawls, and a steeringmechanism consisting of steering-spindleh, carrying wormwheel h, theoperating-worm h, the cross-head or lever H, and the connecting-rod H,connecting said cross-head with the fore axle,substantially asdescribed, for the purpose specified.

3. In a velocipede, the combination, with the pivoted fore axle, A, themain axle A, and counter-shaft S, geared together and carrying each apair of ratchet-wheels, of the foot-levers L L, pivoted atone end andsupported from a chain and pulley at the other,the pawls O O, pivoted.to said foot levers and constructed of two side pieces and two or morecross-bars arranged for operation on'the teeth of the ratchets fordriving the vehicle in one direction, a corresponding ratchet-and-pawlmechanism for driving the vehicle in a reverse direction, adjustingdevices mounted on the foot levers for adjusting the throw of the pawls,a yielding connection between said adjusting devices and thedriving-pawls, and a steering mechanism consisting of a wormgearingconnected with and controlling the movements of said fore axle on itspivot, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 7th day of June, 1886.

EMILE LHOEST. J ULES LHOEST. Witnesses:

R0131. M. HOOPER, LEON SOHMITTBUHL.

